Begin Again
by Aoi Kobayashi
Summary: It was late in the afternoon when she met him. To her, she thought it was going to be just a normal Wednesday, a normal day at work. Never in a million years would she have thought that that meeting would change her life forever. Based on the song "Begin Again" by Taylor Swift and set in modern day London. All human. ONESHOT!


**I've been wanting to do this story for quite a while! :) I really think this song fits this pair so I hope you like it! **

**All credit goes to Cassandra Clare!**

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**~ Begin Again ~**

**I**t was late in the afternoon when she met him. To her, she thought it was going to be just a normal Wednesday, a normal day at work. Never in a million years would she have thought that that meeting would change her life forever.

At that time, she was cleaning the tables from the previous customers, a young adult couple. The women noticed something sticking out from under the stacked plates next to the check and pulled it out, a ten dollar tip. Sophie wasn't surprised. A lot of the customers that come by always give her a tip, even the regulars who have seen her so many times. She always believed it was because they pitied her. Well, who wouldn't feel sorry for a girl with a big scar on the left side of her face? When she first started working here, Sophie was concerned if letting herself seen by so many people was such a good idea, but then her boss and cafe owner, Charlotte Branwell, said that she should not let what other people think get to her. All that matters is what she thinks of herself and her alone. And so she did. It was not only because she needed the money, but it was also because she owes Mrs. Branwell her gratitude. After all the trouble she went though for getting her to a hospital after she was assaulted by her previous employer and taking her under her wing afterwards. She had been like a caring mother towards her, so it was natural that Sophie would do anything for her.

Just as she put the money in her waist apron pocket, the front door bell chimed. Sophie gathered the last of the dishes and headed towards the back. "I'll be with you in a minute," she said without looking behind her.

She quickly dashed to the kitchen and placed the dishes in the sink, almost bumping into the baker, Bridget Daly. Bridget was a nice girl, but she would_ always_ sing a random song at any given moment. Sophie nodded her an apology and made her way back to the dining area, Bridget's voice trailing after her:

_I've been spending the last eight months,_

_Thinking all love ever does is break, and burn, and end_

_But on a Wednesday, in a cafe, I watched it begin again_

Sophie rubbed her temples in annoyance, causing a few strands of her fine brown hair to fall from her bun. Before she stepped out, she took a quick look of herself in the mirror, adjusting her white blouse, name tag, and flattening out her black slacks. After letting out of breath, Sophie reached into her apron, taking out the order pad and pen, walked out- and stared.

The customer who came in was a man, sitting at a table by the window. He looked about her age and she has never seen him before here. From where she was standing, his hair looked like it was the color of the warm sand you would feel beneath your feet when you were at the beach. And though she couldn't really see it, his eyes gleamed a vibrant green when the sunlight hit his handsome face. The man flicked his eyes towards Sophie, making her heart beat a little faster. What makes matters worse, his eyes stayed focused on her. Not much of his facial expression has change, for he was leaning his head on his hand, covering his mouth and left cheek, but you could see that his eye brows were raised a bit, taken aback by her sudden appearance.

Sophie took a deep breath and walked towards him, praying that she doesn't trip on her feet. When she got to him, she finally saw that his eyes were indeed a vibrant green, like the color of emeralds. Those green eyes went down to the menu as he picked it up and handed it to her. He didn't even seem to flinch seeing her face up close. Most people do, looking like they saw a ghost when they saw that scar on her so-called "beautiful" face. She would hear a few mutters saying how pretty she looked if you didn't see the scar.

After mentally telling herself to get a grip, she managed to ask, "What can I get you?"

The man let out an exhausted sigh and cracked his knuckles, making Sophie even more nervous. But to her surprise, his voice was really kind. "I'll take a coffee," he said, looking back at her. "Cream and sugar and some scones."

Sophie was so speechless she almost forgot to write it down. "Uh, would you like jam with that?" She asked nervously.

The man chuckled. Now she was officially dumbfounded. She wasn't trying to be funny, but even so, she found it strange that he even found her funny. "No, thank you, I'll take them plain." He said, smiling at her.

"Alright, I'll be back in a minute." Sophie quickly bowed her head and walked to the counter where the coffee brewer settled. The sent of freshly brewed coffee always calmed her. She would always let out a little sigh every time the smell would fill up her nostrils. As the coffee finished brewing, she turned to take a mug from the cabinet and poured the right amount of cream and sugar. Then carefully, she poured the hot coffee in the mug and stirred the contents with a teaspoon. Once that was finished, Sophie reached down for a saucer and small plate then opened the display case, filled with small amounts of cakes and pastries. Most of them were sold so only a few were left. Using the silver tongs, she grabbed out two scones and placed them on the plate. She noticed that every time she looked up, the man was still looking at her. Even though she was a little flattered, Sophie couldn't help but wonder why.

After writing a quick check, Sophie put the order on a tray and carefully walked over to the man's table. He sat back, to give her room as she placed the coffee and the scones on the table along with the bill.

"Been a long day?" Sophie asked him without thinking.

He nodded in response. "You know it. Hopefully, this will calm me down."

Sophie chewed on her lip for a second before saying, "Well, even though it's almost closing time, take your time. Once you have finished, you can put the money on the table and leave."

He reached for his coffee and gestured it towards her. "Thank you, Sophie."

She stopped. "What?"

He laughed again and pointed towards his chest where a name tag would be. "O-oh, you're welcome..." She bowed her head and walked towards the back.

"Gideon," the man called out after her. Sophie turned back to him with a confused look on her face. "My name is Gideon," he repeated. "Gideon Lightwood."

Sophie gave him a small smile and walked away. When she was finally out of his sight, she let out a breath. She was panting a bit and her heart was slamming against her chest. Then the sound of a door opening near her made her jump.

"Oh Sophie, I didn't mean to scare you."

Sophie let out a sigh of relief. "Mrs- Charlotte it's you..."

Charlotte smiled and patted her arm. "Is everything alright?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Alright. Why don't you go change and end your shift? I'll take care of the remaining customer."

"Are you sure? You don't have to!"

"I'm sure," she insisted. "Now go!"

**~xXx~**

Sophie did what she was told and ended her shift. She changed out of her work uniform into the outfit she came in this morning: a lavender sundress with a sweet heart neckline that fell to her knees, her bare shoulders and upper arms covered by the soft white elbow-length sweater. Her work shoes were replaced with cream colored flats and her hair that was once in a bun, was loose and laid on her shoulder. With her hair to the side, the scar is not as noticeable so it helped a little bit.

Just as she was about to walk out she realized, Gideon. He was gonna see her in a type of outfit a girl would wear to go on a date, even though this is her normal wardrobe. Then again, he might have left already but that would be a little disappointing. She didn't _want _him to leave, not just yet. Just to be sure, she checked herself in the mirror and left the changing room. She passed Charlotte's office before reaching the dining area, but not before hearing Bridget's voice one more time:

_And we walked down the block to my car, almost brought him up_

_ But you start to talk about the movies that your family watches _

_Every single Christmas and I want talk about that _

_And for the first time, what's past is past_

_Oh Bridget, _Sophie thought_. When I see you tomorrow... _

She stopped and saw Gideon still sitting at his table. The scones were gone and his mug appeared to be empty. And he looked like he was... _waiting_. Waiting? He couldn't possibly be waiting for her! He probably lost track of time or something. She turned to look at Charlotte, who was at the register counting up the rest of the money. Charlotte noticed her and inclined her head towards Gideon's table. So he _was _waiting for her after all. Sophie blushed and looked at Charlotte again. She just smiled and winked. "Go," she mouthed.

Sophie swallowed the lump in her throat and walked towards Gideon. Not exactly towards him but close enough to be noticed that she was about to leave.

Gideon did notice and rose up from his seat. "Sophie!"

She saw that he was wearing a blue plaid shirt under a navy blue collared jacket made of soft material and pants of the same navy color. His hands were jammed into his pockets, looking like he would fidget with them if they were out.

"You're still here Gideon?" She said trying to sound casual.

He nodded and smiled. "Yeah! I um, I was wondering if you wanna go on a walk before I take you home?"

Sophie did her best to contain her shock. Someone handsome like Gideon was basically asking her out on a _date? _The last time she did was with her former employer but that's when...

Gideon somehow noticed her uneasiness. "Hey," he said, reaching out to her in a gentle voice. "Are you okay?"

Sophie looked away for a second before answering. "I'm fine. And... I'd love to go on a walk with you."

**~xXx~**

They started talking about all the basic stuff in the "Get-to-Know-You" game: Full name, birthday, likes, dislikes and family. Gideon was first. He practically talked the whole way towards the park. He told her when he was young, he and his siblings Gabriel and Tatiana used to play with each other all the time and that his family would go on vacations every Summer. But every thing changed when his mother passed. His family grew apart: his father paid more attention to work, his brother was constantly fighting with this one boy named Will -a name which Sophie strongly recognized- and his sister became very independent. As for Gideon himself, he just went his own way. At eighteen, he started traveling the world, going to several countries before coming back here to London. He even said that he just came from Spain a few weeks ago.

When they reached the park, he was done with his story. They sat on a bench under a willow tree by the water. It was calm and quiet and the tension between them wasn't so bad. Sophie took the time to tell him her fondest memories; even though she was an only child, she didn't need any siblings because she had her parents. They would do everything together: go to the park and have picnics, go to the cinemas, shopping and on occasion, travel. But then it got personal when she told Gideon they died in a fire when she was eighteen. Since then, she rented an apartment with whatever money she could make from what ever survived from the fire and whatever money they left her. Then when she was nineteen, she started to run out, so she got a job as a server at a club, foolishly bribed by the amount of money she could make in just one night. Not even a month later, she "left" and started working for Charlotte at her cafe.

"I know," she immediately said to him after she finished. "You're wondering how I got my scar."

Gideon shook his head. "No not really. I didn't really pay attention to- "

She looked at him. "It's fine, I know you're curious. Everyone is."

He reached for her hand, stroking it tenderly. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

She told him anyway. One night, a few weeks after she was hired, her boss and employer Jasper tried to rape her, but failed. As she tried to get away though, he took a knife and cut open face from the corner of her left cheek to her temple then threw her out on the streets afterwards. She would have died from an infection or blood loss later that morning if Charlotte wouldn't have found her and taken care of her.

When she told him the story, her hand went up to her face, reacting to the sudden pain she would always feel when she talked or thought about that night. Gideon said nothing as he saw the small tears that ran down her face. Sophie rarely cried, she rarely showed her emotions in general. Up until now, the only people who knew her story was Charlotte and her co-worker, Tessa. Telling it to someone she just met, a man especially, made her feel weak.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, wiping the tears from her face. "I feel pathetic for crying. I'm sorry."

Gideon moved closer to her. She looked up at him before he took her in his arms, laying her head on his shoulder and gently stroked her hair. "You're not pathetic. It's not your fault for what happened. And plus, it natural for people to cry. Don't act as if it's a crime. Let it out."

Sophie silently sobbed into his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him. She somehow felt safe with Gideon. Ever since what happened to her, she shut herself out from other people. The only ones she would ever really interact with are her friends at work and the customers. The last man she met with such kindness was her other co-worker Jem. But he's been hospitalized a week after she started working there and hasn't been released since. She would visit him at least once a week, but she never did get to tell him how she feels because she knows he'll never feel the same.

Gideon was different. She only met him a few hours ago, and yet she feels that she can tell him anything. He just sits there and listens to what she has to say. He never judged or commented, he was just _there_. And that's what she needed, someone to be there with her.

They sat like that for a while until Sophie relaxed herself. Gideon wiped her face before standing. "Come on," he said. "I'll take you home."

She nodded and took his hand. Her legs felt a little wobbly, but Gideon linked her arm though his to keep her steady. As they walked through the streets, a lot of people were giving them looks. But they weren't bad ones, they seemed to be looks of admiration. Gideon didn't seem to notice but Sophie did. At first, she did only think they were staring at her and her scar, but it turned out that they were staring at her and Gideon both. They walked pass these two girls, one noticed them and leaned over to her friend. They both looked and they smiled, giving off an "Aw!" type of face before giggling.

A sudden gust of wind caught both of them by surprise. Sophie's long brown locks blew in her face. She tried to face the wind, hoping it will blow her hair behind her but it didn't. She released herself from Gideon to pull her hair back. And Gideon couldn't help but stare at her as she reached behind her to tie back her hair, revealing more of her face like she did when she was at work. And with the outfit she's wearing, she looked so beautiful. Her eyes were a luminous hazel color that shined whenever she looked at you and her cheeks and lips were a soft rose color. You would have never thought a girl like her had such a hard life. And her scar... You wouldn't even care that she had the scar. With or without it, she was still the same person.

Gideon realized he was staring for too long and looked away, his cheeks turning bright red. Sophie noticed it though and she blushed. Great. Now it was awkward. But they turned to corner to Sophie's street so thankfully, it didn't last long.

The sun was starting to go down, creating a particular atmosphere where you'd expect an event scene to happen.

Sophie fiddled with her fingers before turning back to Gideon. "Um, thank you for today," she muttered, trying to figure out the right words to say. "I had a good time..."

Gideon smiled. "You're welcome. I enjoyed it too, it was very- interesting, I guess you can say, getting to know you that is."

"Uh-huh... So, I'll see you, maybe?"

"Tomorrow then?"

Sophie smiled shyly. "You know where to find me." She turned back to unlock the door to her apartment. As she stepped inside, she looked back at Gideon. "Good night."

"Good night Sophie," he said and started to walk away.

Sophie closed the door behind her and immediately took off her shoes and hair tie, the brown locks dancing around her. She made her way up the stairs to her bedroom. Unbuttoning her sweater, she walked towards the window and pushed back the curtains. From here, she had a nice view of the Thames and the Blackfriars bridge. Only when she looked down, she saw that Gideon was still there, looking up at her window like he knew she would check if he was gone or not. He smiled and waved. Sophie did the same. And with that, he finally walked off. She watched him until he turned the corner, disappearing into the busy streets.

With the smile still on her face, she dropped the curtains and went into the bathroom, turning on the tub to the warmest temperature and let it fill up. Sophie can't remember the last time she felt so happy. The past two years have been the most difficult. It was like it was just yesterday that she went to bed after she finished packing for collage one night, then smelling smoke and hearing the alarms cry at 1:30 in the morning. Selling what she can to get money, doing what she can to live. She couldn't afford collage after the first semester so she had to drop out. There goes her dreams of being a school teacher. But ever since she's been working for Charlotte, she felt like her life is finally starting to become a new. And after meeting Gideon...

Sophie blinked and realized the water was close to overflowing. She swore under her breath and turned off the water. After taking off her clothes, she stepped into the tub, letting the warm water wrap around her like a thermal blanket. She sunk in, leaving only her head above the water and closed her eyes. Now that she thought about it, Sophie suddenly remembered the song Bridget was singing earlier:

_I've been spending the last eight months,_

_Thinking all love ever does is break, and burn, and end_

_But on a Wednesday, in a cafe, I watched it begin again_

Begin again? ...Watching love begin again... Was it a coincidence that the lyrics to that song involved the words _Wednesday_ and _Cafe_?

_No,_ Sophie thought. _No it wasn't._

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**So that's it! I hope you enjoyed! :) Leave your thoughts and comments in the reviews! Thanks for reading!**

**- Aoi**


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